#3 - His Ludicrous Accusation
914 Words
"Isabella, what happened to you? You had us all worried!" Victoria, the last person I wished to see in my home today, rushed towards me the moment I stumbled through the door and wrapped me up in a familiar hug that once upon a time felt warm and comforting, but now felt like thorns prickling me.
I pulled back and side stepped her, barely reigning in my anger at her perfect acting skills that could have easily earned her a prestigious award. "Bella, are you okay?" Concern dripped with every one of her words, but all I could think about was what a fool I had been for ever believing any of it. How long had it been before all the lies? Before they'd fallen in love- Did they laugh behind my back at how I'd stupidly trusted them both?
"Bella?" I didn't realize I was crying until someone pulled me in again. Into familiar arms that up until last night would have had me melting into them. "Talk to me baby. Are you hurt?"
Was I hurt? I pulled back and lifted my teary gaze at Jackson. He was as handsome as ever. Dressed in his signature white dress shirt that was now soiled in places by my tears, his face was pure concern as he gently prodded. If I hadn't seen him riding my best friend last night with my own eyes, I would have believed it. All of it. How many times had he lied to my face this effortlessly? "Isa, say something, please," he begged, making me hold back every bitter word I had thought of hurling at him as I made my way home through a fog of tears.
"I'm tired." I should have been screaming, swearing or something, but I quietly turned away from him. From them. I'd wasted two years with him, a lifetime's worth of my love on them, a bucket load of tears since last night and the most precious thing to me, I was not about to waste anymore. Not even my breath.
"I looked everywhere for you last night." I froze, my fists clenching automatically at Jackson's empty claims and I was this close to demanding at which point between him thrusting into Victoria and moaning her name had he actually decided to search for me, his clueless girlfriend. "Will you talk to me, damn it?!" I was about to quietly step away again, when he reached for me, his hand grabbing onto the blazer I had not bothered to get rid of and ripped it open, leaving me exposed to him. "What the hell?!" Jackson's gaze darkened as if he were seeing me for the very first time. Except it wasn't just me he was staring at, I realized. "I know this blazer, this perfume... where did you get it from? Did you cheat on me?" Nose flaring with his demand, he pinned me with a death glare and oh how I wanted to slap him with a big fat 'yes'.
"It's none of your business." Feeling more broken than angry at his blatant accusation and every memory about last night, I covered up and ran up the stairs as tears welled up anew.
"Did you cheat on me?" Jackson marched into my room right after me, trailed by Victoria
Anger surged at his ludicrous accusation. "Did you decide that you'd ask me that before or after you both slept together or maybe after my drunken one night stand which you paid for?"
"W-What?" Clearly taken aback by my counter accusation, they both stared, eyes wide.
"Bella, are you feeling okay?"
"Don't call me that!" I glared at Victoria. "You gave up that right when you stabbed me in the back."
"Honey-"
I glared at Jackson, cutting off whatever he was going to say. "How long was it going to take you before you announced her as your rebound after I cheated on you? That was the plan right?" My heart ached the more I put two and two together.
"Fine. But you should know that it was all your fault."
"My fault?" Disbelief did not even begin to describe my reaction to the trash out of Victoria's mouth.
"Jack is a guy with needs and you stupidly insisted on waiting. I mean who does that?" Victoria rolled her eyes as she propped herself up on my bed the way she'd done countless times before. "You should have taken my advice and let go of your stupid virtuous image, which going by your walk of shame earlier, didn't matter in the end. So, how was it-"
"Vic, not now." Jackson growled before turning back to me. Was that regret? "Are you okay?"
I ignored him, letting out a bitter laugh at both his stupid pet name for her and his useless need to show me he cared. "You two deserve each other."
"At least you are finally right about something." Victoria's grin brought out claws I didn't know I had.
"Get out!"
"I'm afraid I can't, former best friend, or should I say sister." Victoria stammered, her voice carrying a hesitant tone I recognized from the times she was unsure of something, giving me a glimpse of the best friend who'd cared for me once. I should have ignored everything to do with her altogether.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Isabella honey, I have something to tell you." I swung around to face a guilt-stricken expression belonging to my father.
- Writer
